Poster developed by: Jessica Woolman; University of British Columbia Library Communications and Marketing

This exploratory study looks at academic libraries in Canada and the US who are using social media. It aims to develop a benchmark for libraries to follow in terms of performance. The data compiled shows unique differences in how Canadian libraries use social media compared to libraries in the US.

A zine is a self-published magazine, comic or book. Frequently of a small size and print run, they are usually photocopied and stapled by the creator or “zinester”. Zines can be traced back to the science fiction fanzines created in the 1930s. These early small press publications were printed using mimeogprah machines, hectography, and other techniques. They allow fans to communicate with each other, and more than a few writers, artists, and editors cut their teeth working on them. In the 1970s the punk movement embraced zines as a way to discuss music, politics, fashion, and lifestyle choices that they felt were ignored by the mainstream media. In the decades since then the cheapness of photocopying and the widespread use of computers has allowed zines to grow into a medium as diverse as any other. You can find zines about travel, dating, fiction, candy, single parenting, herbal medicines, fitness, and DIY everything!

Apps for Libraries: Using App Inventor to Make an App for Instruction Registration

Poster Developed by: Nancy Young; Ontario Student Chapter

Apps and mobile devices are endemic to our society but few library personnel have the expertise to make them. So many libraries either do without or use expensive outsourcing. However, there are new tools that allow someone with minimal training to create an app. The Google-MIT collaboration, App Inventor, is free and open-source. The objective was to determine if a library app could be made by someone with minimal programming skills using App Inventor. An app was made and refined. Examples of code from YouTube users were incorporated with App Inventor Tutorials. The resulting app could be used to determine whether a professional app should be commissioned. App Inventor’s very ease of use decreases the creator’s freedom to add more functionality, more visual appeal and versatility. However, App Inventor is primarily intended as a teaching tool as a bargain apps go, you cannot get much better both for price and time spent.

Bachelor of Information Technology – Information Resources Management: a joint initiative between Carleton University and Algonquin College

Poster developed by: Emma Cross; Carleton University Library and Helena Merriam; Algonquin College

Carleton University and Algonquin College are collaborating on the development of a new joint degree program, the Bachelor of Information Technology – Information Resource Management (BIT-IRM). This unique 4 year program will enable students to graduate with both a Bachelor of Information Technology degree and a Library and Information Technician diploma. The BIT-IRM will provide a carefully designed multidisciplinary program, including courses in web interface development, programming, metadata, business, information management, database theory and development, legal issues in information technology, communication skills, French, Library software, marketing, special collections and network technology.

Many university students are faced with a crushing load of course readings- so where does that leave reading for pleasure? Thompson Rivers University has embraced the idea that leisure based reading contributes to large scale information literacy, and promotes lifelong learning. This year the library launched “TRU Reads”, a new popular reading collection located in the House of Learning Library. The main purpose of this collection is to enhance student access to leisure reading materials, where previously they were largely concealed amongst the sprawling stacks of the academic library. Previous studies suggest a correlation between leisure reading and academic success; through this initiative, TRU Library intends to contribute to our students’ success and well-being in a new way.

Consequent to a series of tightening post-secondary budgets in British Columbia, Vancouver Island University librarians recognized the need for an evidence-based tool to support decision-making regarding cancellation of major package deals and resources. Librarians must be able to decide with confidence and to justify our decisions to renew or cut resources to ourselves and the wider institutional community. To assist in this process, VIU librarians recently designed and implemented a collections rubric that examines factors beyond traditional usage metrics and price. Previous to the implementation of the rubric, collections decisions were based on commonly-used, generic factors and were not formally situated in a broader information context. This made it difficult for librarians to get a holistic picture of collection development and to make thoroughly informed, well-documented decisions regarding specific resources and their relation to greater objectives.

Professional Development Beyond LIS Education: Building Bridges for Success

Poster developed by: Marni Harrington, University of Western Ontario and Annick Lapalme

Library and Information Science graduate students are advocates of lifelong learning and access to information. But what happens after graduating from a Canadian LIS-accredited institution? Does access to LIS resources continue for recent graduates to support lifelong learning? Continuing education often means self-directed learning, which includes staying abreast of research and publications available only through costly bibliographic databases. Questions are raised about access for LIS grads and professionals: Who has access to LIS resources and how is it supported?

Stop by the TD Summer Reading Club poster and check out the resources that have been created to help your library offer the TD Summer Reading Club program to kids in your area. When you participate in the program you receive promotional materials, online resources for librarians and great materials and activities for kids!

Balancing Tradition and Modernity: Keeping the Library Relevant at Bishop’s College School

Poster developed by: Christine Smith; Bishop’s College School

This poster highlights the collaboration tactics, policy developments and key initiatives implemented at the Peter G. Holt Memorial Library at Bishop’s College School. Through a year-long programme, the Library has developed campus-wide collaborations with the aim of best serving the school’s educational and recreational needs. The poster will evidence best practices for balancing an organization’s rich heritage while moving into the future.

On July 9th, we featured a CLA poster on electronic textbooks – today we’ve got another one that relates to mobile devices in the classroom. This poster “Mobile Education” was developed by Christina Hwang and Maria Tan of the University of Alberta. What they found was quite definitive – of the students that were surveyed, 96% use mobile devices and the rest use a laptop. Academic Institutions need to offer their services virtually through apps that can be accessed via mobile devices. The same goes for libraries.

The University of Alberta led the way in 2011, being one of the larger academic institutions to initiate Google Apps for Education, offering faculty, staff and students virtual access to timetables, scheduling meetings, booking rooms, email, cloud-based storage, groups, calendars and the ability to collaborate virtually on projects.

When it comes to libraries though – many students were unaware that they could access their school’s library through their mobile device. This should be seen as an opportunity for the library to promote awareness of the mobile access to library resources and services.